Electric or electronic timepiece

ABSTRACT

An electric or electronic timepiece is provided with a mechanical regulating member coordinately actuated with a switch so that driving current for the electro-mechanical transducer of the timepiece is cut off before operative engagement by said regulating member and is not restored until after said regulating member is disengaged.

United States Patent Kurita Sept. 12, 1972 [541 ELECTRIC OR ELECTRONIC[56] References Cited TIMEPIECE UNITED STATES PATENTS [7 2] Inventor:Masahiro Kurita, Suwa, Japan 3,526,088 9/1970 Meitmger ..58/23 [73]Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Suwa Seikosha,

Tokyo, Japan Primary ExaminerRichard B. Wilkinson 2 t. 1 7 AssistantExaminerEdith C. Simmons Jackmon [22] Fllec: N 33 m: 9 0 Attorney-Blum,Moscovitz, Friedman & Kaplan [211 App. 0.:

. [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data An electric orelectronic timepiece is provided with a mechanical regulating membercoordinately actuated Sept. 25, 1969 Japan ..44/76098 with a Switch sothat driving current for the elecmy mechanical transducer of thetimepiece is cut off be- [52] US. (ii. Raga/85.3 I fore operativeengagement by said regulating member 3 R B 2 and is not restored untilafter said regulating member is disengaged.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures BATTERY STEM 3 1 ELECTRIC OR ELECTRONICTIMEPIECE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to anelectric or electronic watch having a second hand regulating device. Insuch watches, a switch is generally provided for disconnecting thebattery voltage source or a part of the driving circuit of theelectro-mechanical transducer of the timepiece when the second hand isregulated and to permit adjustment of the driving signal.

SUMMARY on THE INVENTION Generally speaking, in accordance withthe'invention, an electric or electronic timepiece is provided whereinthe timing of the second hand is regulated mechanically coordinate withthe application or cutting off of driving current to anelectro-mechanical transducer. Regulation of the second hand is achievedby a mechanical regulating member which engages a portion of the timetrain of the timepiece, while switch means is provided for controllingthe application of driving current to said electro-mechanicaltransducer. The means for coordinately operating said switch means andsaid regulating member is adapted to cut off the current to saidelectro-mechanical transducer before operative engagement between saidregulating member and said time train, and to disengage said regulatingmember from said time train before said driving current is reapplied tosaid electro-mechanical transducer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of theinvention, reference is had to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic watch according to theinvention; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the important parts of said watch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a diagram of anelectronic watch having a battery 1 as the driving source. The accuracyof timekeeping is determined by a crystal oscillator 2. An electricsignal produced by crystal oscillator 2 and an oscillating circuit 3 isdivided by a divider circuit 4. Pulse signal 17 thus produced is sent asa driving signal to driving coil 5, which is connected to the stators 6and 6' of a step motor, which serves as an electro-mechanicaltransducer. The rotor 7 of said step motor, formed from permanentmagnets having alternating north and south poles, is intermittentlyrotated at a rate of one pole per second in response to the pulse signalapplied to driving coil 5. This rotation is transmitted to the timetrain of the timepiece through seconds wheel 8 by means of pinion ldepicted in FIG. 2. Pinion is mounted coaxially with the rotor of saidstep motor, the second hand being adapted to move one second in responseto a one-pole rotation of the rotor.

As shown in FIG. 2, this timepiece is provided with a reset switch 9electrically connected with a divider circuit 4 for controlling theapplication of the driving pulse signal 17 to driving coil 5. This resetswitch is set as follows:

By pushing and pulling on stem 13, a regulating transmitting lever 11,mounted coaxially on setting lever pin 12, rotates about the axis ofsetting lever pin 12. The rotation of regulating transmitting lever 11operates regulating lever 10 and alternately shortcircuits anddisconnects contact point 9A of reset switch 9 with contact portion 11Aof said regulating transmitting lever. Thus, said regulatingtransmitting lever has two functions. One is its use as a substitute forthe contact of the reset switch, while the other is the operation ofregulating lever 10.

At the normal position of stem 13, as shown in full lines in FIG. 2,regulating transmitting lever 11 positions regulating lever 10 in theposition shown in full lines, at which regulating portion 10C is out ofengagement with regulating cam 14. Further, said regulating transmittinglever is out of engagement with reset switch 9, also as shown in fulllines.

When the stem is pulled a first incremental distance as represented bythe phantom line showing of reset switch 9', regulating lever 10' andregulating transmitting lever 11, the contact portion 11A of saidregulating transmitting lever engages and is shortcircuited with contactpoint 9A of reset switch 9. At this point, while regulating lever 10 ispivoted slightly about pin 16 to the position 10', regulating portion10C thereof is still out of engagement with regulating cam 14.

I When stem 13 has been pulled a second further incremental distance tothe dashed lined showing of reset switch 9", regulating lever 10'', andregulating transmitting lever 11', contact point 9A of reset switch 9remains shortcircuited (engaged with regulating transmitting lever 11),while the regulating portion 10C of regulating lever 10 engagesregulating cam 14 to mechanically regulate rotor 7.

If stem 13 is pushed inwardly a first incremental distance to the pointrepresented by the phantom line showings of reset switch 9', regulatinglever 10', and regulating transmitting lever 11', from the outerposition shown by dashed lines, the engaging portion 118 of theregulating transmitting lever engages against surface 10B of regulatinglever 10 to raise said surface and rotate the regulating lever 10 in thecounterclockwise direction about pin 16 as viewed in FIG. 2. As a resultof this movement, regulating portion 10C of said regulating lever isdisengaged from regulating cam 14 while contact portion 1 1A ofregulating transmitting lever 11 remains shortcircuited with contactpoint 9A of the reset switch, so that the driving signal is not suppliedto driving coil 5 and so that the electro-mechanical transducer is notoperated. portion When stem 13 is pushed inwardly to the initialposition shown in full lines, engaging portion 11B of regulatingtransmitting lever 11 is disengaged from surface 10B of regulating lever10. Instead, surface 11C of said regulating transmitting lever engagesportion 10A of said regulating lever to rotate said regulating leverabout the axis defined by pin 16 to the initial fulHined position. Atthis position, the regulating transmitting lever is out of engagementwith reset switch 9 to cause divider circuit 4 to become operational. Atthis instant, a driving signal 17 is supplied to driving coil 5 and therotor starts to rotate. Portion 10A of regulating lever 10 is formedwith a surface defining a circular arc corresponding to the circular arcdefined by surface 11C of the regulating transmitting lever.

Thus, in the arrangement in accordance with the invention, regulatinglever is disengaged from regulating cam 14 before reset switch 9 isreleased to permit the application of driving current to the step motor.Similarly, the reset switch is shortcircuited before regulating lever 10engages the regulating cam, so as to ensure that the regulating cam hascome to a stop before such engagement.

On the other hand, if the reset switch and regulating lever are not socoordinated, it is possible for regulating portion 10C to be in the pathof regulating cam 14 while said regulating cam is rotating, therebycausing mechanical interference, which tends to delay starting time.This is especially the case in electric or electronic timepieces havingsecond hands which are moved intermittently. In such timepieces, themember to be regulated is interfered with by the regulating member forthe period of one driving pulse, so that one or a half second is lost,thereby making it difficult to set the second hand to a standard time,and obviating the provision of the regulating means.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric or electronic timepiece comprising an electro-mechanicaltransducer including an electrical driving portion and a mechanicaldriven portion; a time train including and driven by said mechanicalportion of said electro-mechanical transducer; a driving circuit forapplying a driving signal to said electrical portion of saidelectro-mechanical transducer; mechanical regulating means fordisplacement between at least a first position in interfering relationwith a portion of said time train for regulating said time train and asecond position out of interfering relation with said time train;

switch means positionable in a first state at which said driving signalis applied to said electrical portion of said electro-mechanicaltransducer and a second state at which said driving signal is not soapplied; and means for coordinately actuating said switch means andregulating means so that said regulating means is displaced from itsfirst position to its second position before said switch means isswitched from its second state to its first state and so that saidregulating means is displaced from its second position to its firstposition after said switch means is switched from its first state to itssecond state, whereby said regulating means does not interfere with themoving time train.

2. An electric or electronic watch as recited in claim 1, wherein saidelectro-mechanical transducer is a step motor, said electrical drivingportion being a driving coil, said mechanical driven portion being arotor, said time train including a regulating cam for cooperativeengagement with said regulating means.

3. An electric or electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, whereinsaid coordinate actuating means inre la n lever a ain t said switchcontact to lace sai ti suiitc means n sa id second state, the incremntal rotation of said transmitting regulating lever in said firstdirection a second incremental distance serving to displace saidregulating lever into said first position while maintaining contact withsaid switch contact to main tain said switch means in said second state,the stepwise incremental rotation of said transmitting regulating leverin a second direction opposite to said first direction serving to firstposition said regulating lever in said third intermediate position whilemaintaining engagement of said transmitting regulating lever with saidswitch contact after a first incremental displacement and thendisengaging said transmitting regulating lever from said switch contactand positioning said regulating member in said second position after asecond further incremental displacement in said second direction.

4. An electric or electronic timepiece as recited in claim 3, includinga stem projecting outside of said timepiece, the pivotable rotation ofsaid regulating transmitting lever being in response to the longitudinaldisplacement of said stern.

1. An electric or electronic timepiece comprising an electromechanicaltransducer including an electrical driving portion and a mechanicaldriven portion; a time train including and driven by said mechanicalportion of said electro-mechanical transducer; a driving circuit forapplying a driving signal to said electrical portion of saidelectro-mechanical transducer; mechanical regulating means fordisplacement between at least a first position in interfering relationwith a portion of said time train for regulating said time train and asecond position out of interfering relation with said time train; switchmeans positionable in a first state at which said driving signal isapplied to said electrical portion of said electro-mechanical transducerand a second state at which said driving signal is not so applied; andmeans for coordinately actuating said switch means and regulating meansso that said regulating means is displaced from its first position toits second position before said switch means is switched from its secondstate to its first state and so that said regulating means is displacedfrom its second position to its first position after said switch meansis switched from its first state to its second state, whereby saidregulating means does not interfere with the moving time train.
 2. Anelectric or electronic watch as recited in claim 1, wherein saidelectro-mechanical transducer is a step motor, said electrical drivingportion being a driving coil, said mechanical driven portion being arotor, said time train including a regulating cam for cooperativeengagement with said regulating means.
 3. An electric or electronictimepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein said coordinate actuating meansincludes a pivotably mounted regulating transmitting lever, saidregulating means includes a regulating lever positioned for rotation inresponse to the rotation of said regulating transmitting lever, and saidswitch means includes a switch contact positioned in the path ofrotation of said regulating transmitting lever, the pivotable rotationof said regulating transmitting lever in a first direction by a firstincremental distance pivoting said regulating lever from said secondposition to a third intermediate position out of interfering relationwith said time train and engaging said transmitting regulating leveragainst said switch contact to place said switch means in said secondstate, the incremental rotation of said transmitting regulating lever insaid first direction a second incremental distance serving to displacesaid regulating lever into said first position while maintaining contactwith said switch contact to maintain said switch means in said secondstate, the step-wise incremental rotation of said transmittingregulating lever in a second direction opposite to said first directionserving to first position said regulating lever in said thirdintermediate position while maintaining engagement of said transmittingregulating lever with said switch contact after a first incrementaldisplacement and then disengaging said transmitting regulating leverfrom said switch contact and positioning said regulating member in saidsecond position after a second further incremental displacement in saidsecond direction.
 4. An electric or electronic timepiece as recited inclaim 3, including a stem projecting outside of said timepiece, thepivotable rotation of said regulating transmitting lever being inresponse to the longitudinal displacement of said stem.